Comodo Group

Comodo Group, Inc. is a privately held group of companies providing good computer software and SSL digital certificates , based in Clifton, New Jersey in the United States . It has international offices in the United Kingdom, Japan, China, India, Romania, Turkey and The Philippines. [2] As of 3 February 2017, Comodo is the largest issuer of SSL certificates with a 44% market share on 13.9% of all web domains. [3]

History

The company was founded in 1998 in the United Kingdom, [1] by Melih Abdulhayoğlu , who remains its CEO. The company relocated to the United States in 2004. Its product line is focused on computer and internet security. The firm operates a Certificate Authority that issues SSL certificates, and offers information security products for both enterprises and secure endpoints, networks and boundaries against cyber threats using cloud-based offerings. [4] The company also helped to set the Internet Standards Task Force ( IETF ) Certification Authority Authority Authorization (CAA) Resource Record. [5]

Companies

Comodo CA Limited : Based in City of Salford , Greater Manchester , UK, [6] is a digital certificate authority that issues SSL and other digital certificates. According to W3Techs.com, Comodo is the largest digital certificate provider. [7] [8]

Comodo Security Solutions, Inc . : Based in Clifton, NJ, develops and markets security software for commercial and consumer use. This includes web site vulnerability and penetration scanning, corporate and consumer security systems and other networks security products. Comodo AntiVirus Labs supports all versions of their security systems. [9]

DNS.com : Based in Louisville, Kentucky , the company provides DNS services. [10]

Products

Consumer Security Products

Comodo Internet Security (CIS) is a suite of security products for the desktop, provided with additional features available for a fee. [11] Support requires a subscription. It includes a personal firewall , Host-based intrusion detection system and antivirus program . [12]

Enterprise Products – Digital Certificates and Certificate Management

Comodo SSL – Comodo was founded as a Certificate Authority selling Comodo SSL and digital certificates. Its primary source of revenue comes from related products to business and enterprises. [17] Related E-Commerce products include PCI Compliance Scanning and Web Site Vulnerability Scanning.

Comodo Client Security is the client application used by AEP to provide endpoint security.

IT and Security Manager (ITSM) – ITSM is the management console used by AEP, providing a single consolidated management of IT and IT solutions. It allows for the configuration of security policies and visibility into the security posture and health of enterprise endpoints (PCs and mobile devices).

Comodo Securebox was released in July 2014 and was jointly developed with Western Union with the intention of solving the problem of the application of such transactions. Securebox containment technology protects the application and its activities even if the computer is infected with malware [21] [22]

Comodo Mobile Device Management – Comodo MDM software could be called a powerful tool in the hands of IT administrators. Using this tool they can manage and maintain the security of a large number of mobile devices, both of which are part of a corporate network. [23] [24]

Comodo Korugan – In 2014 Comodo introduced the Korugan line of Unified Threat Management Appliances that provide a bundle of network security solutions such as firewall, gateway antivirus and end security management. [25] [26]

Industry affiliations

Comodo is a member of the following industry organizations:

Certificate Authority Security Council (CASC): In February 2013, Comodo became a member of this industry advocacy organization dedicated to addressing industry issues and educating the public on internet security. [34] [35]

Common Computing Security Standards Forum (CCSF): In 2009 Comodo was a founding member of the CCSF, an industry organization that promotes industry standards that protect end users. Comodo CEO Melih Abdulhayoğlu is considered the founder of the CCSF. [36]

CA / Browser Forum : In 2005, Comodo was a founding member of a new consortium of Certificate Authorities and web browser vendors dedicated to Internet standards. [37] [38] Melih Abdulhayoğlu invited top traitor providers and certification authorities to a round table to discuss creation of a central authority responsible for delivering digital certificate issuance best practice guidelines. [39]

Controversies

Symantec

In response to Symantec ‘s comment on the effectiveness of free Antivirus software, on September 18, 2010, the CEO of the Comodo Group challenged Symantec to see which products can defend the consumer better against malware . [40] GCN’S John Breeden understood Comodo’s stance on free Antivirus software and distressing Symantec: “This is actually a smart smart move based on the previous review of AV performance we’ve done in the GCN Lab. In the past, you have to make a lot of money, and it’s been a long time ago. [41]

Symantec responded by saying that if they are interested they should have their product included. [42]

Comodo volunteered to a Symantec vs. Comodo independent review. [43] Though this showdown did not take place, Comodo did not include AV-Test, [44] PC World, [45] Best Antivirus Reviews, [46] AV-Comparatives, [47] and PC Mag. [48]

Certificate hacking

On March 23, 2011, Comodo has posted postponement That 8 days Earlier, we 15 March 2011, user account with an affiliate registration authority HAD beens Was Compromised and used to create a new user account Issued nine That certificate signing requests . [49] Nine certificates for seven domains were issued. [49] The attack was traced to IP address 212.95.136.18, which originates in Tehran, Iran. [49] Though the report states that the breach is the result of a “state-driven attack”, it is stated that the origin of the attack may be the “result of an attacking attempt at a false trail.” [49] [50]

The attack was immediately thwarted, with Comodo revoking all of the bogus certificates. Comodo also stated that it is actively seeking to improve the security of its affiliates. [51]

In an update on March 31, 2011, Comodo stated that it was detected and intruded into a consumer account on March 26, 2011. The new controls implemented by Comodo following the incident on March 15, 2011, removed any risk of the fraudulent issue of certificates. Comodo believed to be the perpetrator of the same incident on March 15, 2011. [52]

In this second incident, Comodo stated, “Our CA infrastructure was not compromised.” “We have not compromised our credentials. [53]

On March 26, 2011, a person under the username “ComodoHacker” made several posts to Pastebin.com claiming to be an Iranian responsible for the attacks. [54] [55]

Such issues have been widely reported, and issued to revoked. [56] [57] [58] [59] As of 2016, all of the certificates remain revoked. [49] Microsoft issued a security advisory and updated the issue at the time of the event. [60] [61]

Such attacks are not unique to any particular country, but they are so many of these entities, all of which are deemed to be inevitable. [62]

Association with PrivDog

In February 2015, Comodo was associated with a man-in-the-middle as well as PrivDog, which claims to protect users against malicious advertising. [63]

PrivDog issued a statement on February 23, 2015, saying, “A minor intermittent defect has been detected in a third party library used by the PrivDog standalone application which potentially affects a very small number of users. This potential issue is only present in PrivDog versions, 3.0.96.0 and 3.0.97.0. The potential issue is not present in the PrivDog plug-in that is distributed with Comodo Browsers, and Comodo has not distributed this version to its users. there are potentially a maximum of 6,294 users in the USA and 57,568 users globally that this could potentially impact. The third party library used by PrivDog is not the same third party library used by Superfish….The potential issue has already been corrected. There will be an update tomorrow which will automatically update all 57,568 users of these specific PrivDog versions.” [64]

Certificates issued to known malware

Comodo responded when notified and revoked the issued certificates that contained the malware rogue. [66]

Chromodo browser, ACL, ASLR, VNC weak authentication

In January 2016, Tavis Ormandy reported that Comodo’s Chromodo browser exhibited a number of vulnerabilities, including disabling of the same-origin policy . [67]

The vulnerability was not in the browser itself, which was based on the open-source code behind Google’s Chrome browser. Rather, the issue was with an add-on. As soon as Comodo became aware of the issue in early February 2016, the company released a statement and a fix: “As an industry, software in general is always being updated, patched, fixed, addressed, improved – it goes hand in hand with any development cycle … What is critical in software development is how to address an issue if a certain vulnerability is found? Those using Chromodo immediately received an update. [68] The Chromodo browser was subsequently discontinued by Comodo.

Ormandy noted that Comodo received a “Excellence in Information Security Testing” award from Verizon despite the vulnerability in its browser, despite having its VNC delivered with a default of weak authentication, and despite using access control lists (ACLs) throughout its product. Ormandy has the opinion that Verizon’s certification methodology is at fault here. [69]

Let’s Encrypt trademark registration application

In October 2015, Comodo Applied for “Let’s Encrypt”, “Comodo Let’s Encrypt”, and “Let’s Encrypt with Comodo” trademarks. [70] [71] [72] These trademark applications were filed almost a year after the Internet Security Research Group, parent organization of Let’s Encrypt , started using the name “Let’s Encrypt” in November 2014, [73] and despite the fact Comodo’s ” “Let’s Encrypt” as a brand.

On June 24, 2016, Comodo posted in their forum that they had filed for “express abandonment” of their trademark applications. [74]

Comodo’s Chief Technical Officer Robin Alden said, “Comodo has filed for express abandonment of the trademark applications of this trademark and is now resolved. We’d like to thank you for your help. ” [75]